The Cave
by MoonLight-DJ15
Summary: Gandalf knows that the black-haired beauty dislikes having uninvited people over for dinner and yet, he brings eight strangers to her temporary dwelling. Gandalf knew that he would be testing the spitfire's patience, but they were in great need of shelter when they found her cave. Not that the men, minus the wizard, knew it belonged to a certain Kagome.
1. Who's cave?

It had been wonderfully warm and sunny for weeks now. Today, however, had been the start of a terrible storm. The rain suddenly came down on the earth in big, ferocious drops, soaking everything and everyone. The wind blew angrily at the Fellowship, the trees creaking dangerously. The clouds were a darker shade of gray than Gandalf's cloak while the lightning lit up the sky like the sun itself. Wet, cold, tired, and irritated, the group desperately searched for a dry place in the forest.

"Legolas!" Gandalf yelled to the blonde elf scouting ahead, "Did you find a place for us to rest till the storm passes?" The young elf shook his head as he jogged back to his companions.

Frowning, he said, "I am afraid not. There is no cave or anything we can use for shelter up ahead."

"There is also no village anywhere near here, at least not to my knowledge." The wizard replied, glaring at the brim of his dripping hat.

"Well, isn't that great?!" Sam exclaimed as he threw his arms in the air. Beside him, Merry kicked a rock but unfortunately missed and went tumbling down a slippery slope that he was standing next to. "Merry!" Frodo called out and the hobbits ran, or rather slid, down the way their friend fell.

"Frodo, wait," Aragorn warned, but the little man is already out of sight. Soon the rest of the men follow them down the muddy trail. The hobbits were crowding around Merry, asking him if he is hurt.

"He is fine. Just a little fall wouldn't hurt the tough guy, right?" Boromir gruffly asked and earned a glare from the other human in the group. None of them noticed the dwarf had walked a little bit away from everybody else. Something seemed to have captured his attention.

"No, no. I'm really fine, " Merry declared, "I'm as strong as an ox, see? Ow!" He had tried to stand up but once he put pressure on his right leg, pain shot up and he fell right back down again. Immediately, Aragorn and Legolas were at his side assessing his injury.

"-seems to be twisted," the elf had been saying before he was interrupted by a loud voice.

"I found a cave!" Gimli yelled. The cave he was talking about was a few meters to the left from the spot Merry had fallen down. Quickly, the Fellowship got up, Merry being carried by the blonde prince, and made their way over to the said cave. At first, they could not see the cave's entrance, not even Legolas. It looked nothing out of the ordinary; it matched its scenery with the lush vines and bushes covering the entire mouth of the cave. But there was something else, something unnatural that prevented people from seeing the cave.

"Gandalf…" Legolas muttered quietly. He sensed it and knew the wizard could as well.

The wizard nodded, "Yes, I know. Magic. It is not evil, but instead quite the opposite. It is, in fact,-"

"Pure," the prince finished, "I have never felt anything like this on this plane." _It is too pure to exist on Middle-Earth_ , he had thought to himself.

"Well then? Come on in! Its dry and safe and the answer to our prayers," Gimli who was already inside had said, popping his head out of the greenery.

"Master Dwarf," Aragorn started, "did you already check the cave for anything vile? You know that caves are-"

"Yes, yes, yes, Aragorn we know. Gimli said it was safe, so he must have thoroughly checked it already. Now let us get inside and out of this wretched weather!" Pippin walked inside as he spoke, the rest of the hobbits followed suit, save for Merry who was still being carried by Aragorn. The dwarf blushed faintly as he cleared his voice, "Why, of course, I _thoroughly_ checked it as it is what we all are supposed to do when we find a cave." With that statement alone, everyone knew that he barely glanced at the cave just to make sure it was empty.

Boromir walked in next, "At least you found us shelter. If we need to fight then we will, but the little ones need to at least rest, even if it is for a little bit."

Aragorn sighed. He did not like this, but they were all tired, and this was the only place available. "Not just the little ones," he walked in with Legolas and Gandalf right behind him, "but us as well."

As soon as everybody was inside, they all settled down. Gandalf sat on a large rock, Pippin and Frodo were already getting out bedding, Sam and Gimli prepared the little food they had, the humans were helping out the injured hobbit, and Legolas double checked the cave. It wasn't a large cave, so the examination went by quickly. The prince was about to relax until he heard Gimli shout that the fire had finally been made. How was it possible that they were able to create the fire when they had no dry wood? Aragorn must have been thinking the same thing because he stood up quickly and alert and questioned the dwarf.

"I found it in the cave. We are just that lucky." Gimli shrugged.

"No, that is not possible for wood, in this quantity and size, to miraculously be in here for us to use. Tell me, Master Dwarf, where exactly in this cave did you find the wood?" Aragorn asked. The shorter male led the man to the very back of the small cave and motioned to the ground. Boromir and Legolas followed suit, both analyzing the ground. There was nothing there except a large rock next to the back wall.

"They were next to the rock," Gimli explained.

"What if it was not a rock, but something that was disguised as a rock?" The elf pondered.

"My thoughts exactly, my friend," the king said, "This is elven magic, is it not?"

"It is, but it is very faint. I could hardly recognize it because it is being drowned out by a much powerful and purer magic." said the prince.

Listening in on the conversation, Frodo grew very worried and turned to the wizard, "Gandalf," said the hobbit, "is it safe to rest in here?"

The wizard blew out a smoke ring before answering, "Why yes, Mr. Baggins. The safest cave I know." Turning his attention to the elf, he says, "The power you feel, Legolas, is from two or three rectangular papers with strange symbols on them. I know they are somewhere in this cave, though I cannot pinpoint where exactly, and it provides the cave with protection. The person who made them is currently staying in this cave. Do not fret, it is a friend of mine."

"What? Someone else was here before us?" Sam asked, appalled that they were intruding.

Boromir walked over to Gandalf and asked, "Who is the person living here, Gandalf?" An arrow glowing pink at the tip zipped past the bodies of the company and embedded itself on the far back wall that the prince and king were inspecting. Weapons immediately came out and the company prepared for another attack.

"I am the one staying here," a hard voice stated. It was a figure dressed in a drenched cloak, the trousers and shirt were black and also soaking. A hood fully covering the face of the attacker. It was difficult to tell if the person was male or female because the outfit covered any curves that might have been, but the voice had been a dead giveaway; it was far too high for a man. The figure had another arrow notched and ready for release. There was a young male deer lying next to the figure, dead and bloody with a single arrow hole in its heart. "Step away from the rock and lay down your weapons," she growled.

"You are outnumbered, woman," Boromir stated, "It is you who should lay down your weapon. You can not wi-"

The wizard cut him off, "Actually, I am pretty sure this little spitfire can take all of you at once."

"Gandalf?" Legolas asked.

"Put away your weapons, boys," He paused for a bit and added as an afterthought, "And step away from her stuff. She really means no harm."

"Oi," the figure, who already put away the arrow back into her quiver and shouldered her bow, pushed the hood covering her face down. She had fair skin that greatly contrasted her striking blue eyes and blue-black locks and plump, pink lips that made her an extremely beautiful and unique maiden. "Don't go making promises for me, old man."

Gandalf let out a full-hearted laugh as he rose to his feet and opened his arms, "Nice to see you too, Kagome."

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 **A/N: Hiya, Moonlight here. Here's a small idea that popped into my head a while ago. I might, or might not make another chapter for this. Anyway, R &R! I enjoy receiving feedback so that I can hopefully improve myself. Au revoir~**

 ****ML****


	2. Her Cave

**A/N: Hiya, Moonlight here. OH MY GOD. It's 2018 now and I open my account to see you guys giving me positive reviews and I didn't expect it and I'm rambling but aaaaaAAAAHHH! Thank you, guys! ALso. I'm so sorry for taking forever. Life had me by the neck last year. So, here is another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as you did the last chapter! Tell me what you lovelies think down in the reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I sadly don't own any of these beautiful characters :(**

 ****ML****

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The woman glared at the wizard in response to his jolly greeting and bent down to pick up the dead animal. "Now now, Kagome, don't be so mad at me," said the wizard.

"'Nice to see you too, Kagome,' you say. 'Don't be so mad at me,' you say," the female mocked, deadpanning at Gandalf. "You must be kidding. You're invading my privacy and touching my things. This is trespassing, Gandalf. I think I have the right to be upset," she paused as she dropped deer in front of the fire, making the little ones jump. Suddenly her eyes lit up, and a pleasant but wicked smile graced her lips.

"Actually," she began, crossing her arms over her chest. Kagome narrowed her eyes at the men before her. "I also have the right to kick all of you out."

"Wait! You can't just do that! That's-" Boromir started again, but, same as the last time, he was cut off.

"Then tell me, what's stopping me?" Kagome's not-so-friendly smile dropped when she asked.

"Pardon my friend, Miss. He does not know how to control his mouth." Aragorn said to her. Turning to the other man, the king began to chastise him, "Boromir, you need to stop," Aragon stated. The two humans began a heated argument on there own, completely ignoring the dark-haired woman.

"A woman cannot possibly beat us. The thought is ludicrous!" Boromir was saying. He was getting frustrated by the woman making such high claims. All the while, Kagome's glare grew more and more intense.

All she wanted to do was come back to the cave, cook a meal, and relax. She ran into some trolls the night before, and the fight left her body aching. On top of that, her uterus was raging inside of her, tormenting her for not getting pregnant. When she wishes for company, she doesn't get any; when she wants peace and quiet, chaos gets tossed right her way. The fates just love her.

Seeing that this was going nowhere but angering the one called Kagome, Legolas stepped in, "My lady, we needed to get away from the storm, and this cave was the only place we could find. Please let us stay with you until the storm passes, for we are tired and have an injured member." Kagome studied Legolas with a raised eyebrow and soon they were staring each other down. _It's been awhile since I've actually seen an elf, about fifty years since I visited Elrond and his people, and more than two hundred years since I went to Lothlorien or Mirkwood. I should go visit soon. I do miss another female's company,_ she thought to herself. Judging by the clothes the elven male wore, she guessed that he had the status of a nobleman.

She couldn't help but compare the man standing before her with another male from her past. Her brain screamed Sesshomaru because they were both very attractive and tall noblemen with long, shining hair and pointed ears. Of course, the differences between them outweighed the similarities, but it was enough to make her smile inwardly.

A small voice broke her train of thought, "Please let us stay, Miss Kah-go-may," Frodo pleaded stepping closer to Kagome. He said her name slowly, testing the foreign name. Sam whispered furiously to Frodo telling him to come back and away from the 'strange female that they don't know anything about.'

Kagome stuttered. Her mind suddenly split into two. On one hand, the hobbit looked so cute. She couldn't say no even if she wanted to. On the other hand, Kagome sensed a strong dark presence coming from the small man, and this made her extremely wary.

 _No, there is no way that this hobbit is evil. His soul is clean, so it must be something he's carrying._ She glanced at an amused Gandalf. _This hobbit is also traveling with Gandalf, therefore he is not my enemy._ Looking around at the mix-matched group of people then back at the Frodo and the dark presence, she came to one conclusion: this must be some sort of quest. Eventually, she sighed and took a deep breath to calm her down. Taking a knee, she asked the hobbit quietly, "What's your name?"

"Frodo. Frodo Baggins" was the response.

Smiling warmly, Kagome winked and whispered to him not to worry because she is going to let them stay. She wasn't going to say no in the first place. Kagome was just cranky and irritated, causing her to make empty threats. The raven-haired woman stood up and slipped on an emotionless mask. Unbeknownst to her, Legolas was watching her every move. Not too long ago, she was acutely aware of his presence, but once Frodo spoke up, the woman practically ignored him altogether. It was almost as if she forgot he was there, and this irked him because the prince was not used to being dismissed so easily, especially by a female.

"Who are these people you have brought with you, Gandalf?" Kagome said, her voice demanding everyone's attention.

"This is the Fellowship of the Ring. It is our duty to protect Frodo in his quest to destroy the Ring of Power." The old man paused before slyly asking, "Would you like to accompany us for the remainder of this journey?" Eyebrows shot up, but Kagome's reasons differed from the company's reasons. Kagome was surprised that a hobbit, no, multiple hobbits, would go on such a dangerous quest to destroy the lost ring and now she knew what that evil aura was. The men's brows shot up because they were shocked that Gandalf invited her to join them.

"I'll….. think about it," was her answer. There was an awkward silence. Nobody really knew what to say; all that resonated in the cave was the sound of the hard rain and occasional thunder. This is stupid, She mentally sighed and began chastising herself, It was rude of me to make those uncalled threats. I should fix this.

"Listen, I'm sorry for my rude entrance. You did not mean any harm, so I should have welcomed you with open arms. Please forgive me and allow me to start over. My name is Kagome Higurashi and I wish to become friends with you," she finished with a low bow and a smile.

Merry and Pippin gladly jumped into the conversation introducing themselves and dragged Sam into their little chat. She soon learned of the names of the men, Aragorn and Boromir; the elf, Legolas; and the dwarf, Gimli.

"Now that introductions have been made, let us cook this deer that Kagome has caught us and rest tonight!" Gandalf exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, I'll start making dinner," Kagome laughed. Noting the pots and pans Sam brought, she asked him a question. "Sam, you look like someone who knows how to cook. Do you want to help me?" Blushing, the hobbit eagerly agreed. Kagome instructed Sam to prepare the cooking materials while she prepared the meat.

Aragon insisted on helping the priestess gut and clean the animal even though she adamantly refused, much to Gandalf's amusement. "Please, Miss Kagome," Aragorn said, "Let me assist you. I trust you are fully capable of doing this on your own, but I still can not let you do all the work."

Kagome sighed. She wanted to make up for the way she treated them, not make them work. However, if that is what makes him happy, who was she to refuse free help? "Fine, you may help me. But on one condition," Kagome said.

Aragorn blinked, "Yes, what would that be?"

"Simply call me Kagome. If I am to stay with you, then no 'Miss' or whatnot. I am not one for formalities."

"As you wish, Kagome. In that case, please call me Aragorn," he responded.

This made the woman beam with joy as they moved near the entrance of the cave to prepare the meat.

It was around this time when Legolas finished checking up on Merry's injury and calming Boromir down. He had intended to talk with Aragorn about the female who claimed this cave, but he had found that the man had already struck up a conversation with the said woman. While they were busy, the elf decided that this was a good time to find out more about the strange black-haired enigma. His sharp eyes locked on another being who held the knowledge he wished to acquire. He took a few steps over to Gandalf, who was currently smoking a pipe with his back against a wall and sat down.

"Gandalf," he called to capture his attention. The wizard lazily opened one eye to look at him. "Tell me more about your friend."

"Which one?" asked the wizard, closing his eye again.

"Gandalf.."

The old man sighed, releasing a puff of smoke. "She is who she says she is. She is Kagome Higurashi, a human who is kind to all races, loved by all races. But do not take her as a kind fool, for she is also a respected, powerful being who is not to be trifled with."

Legolas' sharp eyes drifted to the female in question as he listened. _How interesting… This small human hold any kind of great power? The last time man tried to obtain such ability…_ He thought of the outcome of the Ring, and his eyes narrowed.

Gandalf glanced at him again and watched the prince stare intently at Kagome. Mentally chuckling, he tells him, "If you are so curious, then why don't you go talk to her instead of asking me to talk behind her back?"

The elf thought about it for a second and then nodded. Gracefully getting up, he went to the duo at the mouth of the cave.

"Ah, how nice of you to join us," she began, smirking when she felt a perplexed elven aura approach her, "Prince Legolas, Son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood," she turned her head from her work and look up at his beautiful face. "I never thought I'd get to meet his highness like…" Kagome blushed, "Well, like this."

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 ****ML**: R &R! Au revoir~!**


	3. The First Night

Kagome stood and gave the elf prince a low bow in greeting.

"Please forgive me for my earlier hostility and disrespect to the crown, your highness. Your father would be most displeased to know that I threatened his only heir to the throne."

"No, it is alright. We did invade your cave after all," he said as she straightened her posture.

"If you will excuse me, I need to finish up this deer," Kagome apologized.

"Allow me to help you as well." The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Legolas beat her to it. "I do not need to eat at the moment, but I do believe that the rest of the company is very hungry. With my help, this would be much faster," he reasoned.

Exasperated and too tired to argue, she gave a slight nod of her head. Just as he said, the deer was quickly gutted, cleaned, skinned, and ready for cooking. It wasn't long till everybody was eating happily in the warm cave.

Kagome relished in the well-deserved break and the new company. It felt good to be surrounded by others again after being alone for so long. It was a plus that these people were of familiar names and old faces. She was surprisingly happy and at peace.

Then the questions came, which she really should have expected but had hoped they would hold off till tomorrow. No dice.

"Miss Ka- uh-" Frodo paused, remembering her request to drop the titles. "I mean, Kagome," he began, "Gandalf said that this cave was protected by...paper? Is that true?"

Kagome shot an incredulous look at Gandalf. _My talismans are so much more than_ just _paper! I can't believe him._

"In my defense, I said 'rectangular papers with strange symbols on them' because it was the best way to describe them in simple terms," Gandalf pointed out, eyes twinkling.

Kagome sighed, "Yes, there are _papers_ that I put up around the cave for protection; two outside to conceal the cave and one inside to ward off evil creatures. They are my _talismans_. I create them and feed my spiritual energy into it to give it power." She gave a pointed look at the smiling wizard.

"The glow at the tip of your arrows, is that also made by you?" Boromir asked, finally (but begrudgingly) coming to terms with Kagome's power despite her gender.

"Yes-"

"Are you magic? Like a wizard like Gandalf?" Merry and Pippin asked excitedly.

This made the woman laugh. "Oh no. Definitely not. I don't think I could handle it if someone said 'Look out, its Kagome the Grey' or whatever. I wouldn't be able to take anything seriously."

Gandalf huffed, smoke rising from his lips as he mumbled, "More like Kagome the Pink," making the female scrunch up her nose in disgust.

"Please, never say that again," she said.

"If not magic, then what is it?" Aragorn asked.

"It's my Miko-ki, spiritual energy if you will. My powers come from within me, not from some spell or artifact, although they can amplify my Miko-ki. My powers are used for healing and protection from evil, meaning I can also purify as an offense. Unfortunately, that means my offense will not work against something not created by evil or someone who does not use dark magic, no matter how ill their will. And so, I also train in weaponry and hand to hand combat for protection in those scenarios."

Most of her companions nodded their heads in understanding. However, there were some who still seemed confused. Pippin took one for the team and scratched his head. "Um, Kagome, you have to help us, stragglers, here."

"Think of it as holy magic, Pippin. I _am_ a priestess after all." _Cue the slack jaws._ She waited for the initial shock to wear off.

 _3…_

 _2…_

 _1…_

An overlap of voices cut through the silence.

"That is so cool!"

"How curious…"

"Can you show us something?"

"What would she even show us, Merry?"

"I don't know, Sam! Priestess magic stuff!"

"A holy woman doing the work of men?! That is no place for a maiden! Much less a priestess!"

Kagome sighed. There goes all the peace that once was. But as she looked around, her eyes softened. Such a ragtag company of many races: humans, hobbits, a wizard, and even a dwarf and an elf! She watched as they bickered and teased, their antics sorely reminding her of her own mix-matched traveling group of the past. Mirth bloomed in her chest until a full-blown laugh had bubbled out of her, surprising the loud bunch.

"Um, lass," Gimli asked hesitantly, "Are you alright?"

She clutched her stomach as she tried to regain her composure. Finally, when she calmed down, Kagome responded to the worried dwarf. "Quite, Gimli." With her eyes still sparkling, she turned to Gandalf. "If the offer still stands, Gandalf, I would love to join you and your friends on this quest."

"Ring-bearer? What is your decision?"

All eyes turned to Frodo. For once on his journey of uncertainties, Frodo was certain of his choice. "I would love for you to join us, Kagome."

.o.O.o. 

.o.O.o.

Despite the woman's claims of protection, the others would not rest unless someone was on guard. Kagome, unoffended, agreed that it was better safe than sorry. She removed the elven cloak that made her belongings look like rocks and brought out sleeping mats and blankets to share. Aragorn took the first shift, then Boromir, then Legolas to finish the rest.

Night came and went, but the storm raged on outside. By the time Kagome woke up, the sky took on a dim glow, the only indicator that morning had come. No one was awake just yet, except for the elf prince. She nodded a good morning before going outside to wash her face with rainwater and brush her teeth with a twig toothbrush she crafted. Oh, how she missed modern appliances.

When she walked back into the cave, she took out her arrows and moved her focus on sharpening them. Or… she tried to focus. Kagome was acutely aware of the elf's staring.

"You have questions," she simply stated.

"I do," was the reply.

The woman looked up and straight into Legolas' cool colored eyes. Knife in hand, she paused her activity to motion him to get on with it.

"How long have you been acquainted with Gandalf?"

At that, she chuckled and continued sharpening her arrows. "I'd say almost 300 years. It was during my early years of traveling when I met most of your kind. "

Silver eyebrows rose in disbelief. _300 years?_ "Gandalf said you were human."

"Indeed I am. I am a human graced with immortality. Well, more like cursed, but that is a matter of perspective."

"How is that possible?" Legolas narrowed his eyes as he regarded the woman before him. She had to have made a deal with some being to have gained such power. Maybe she was truly blessed by the gods. She said 'cursed' so perhaps she had done an unforgivable sin and must now live in eternal grief. The answer she had actually given him was confusing and only brought up more questions.

"The Fates are but spoiled children, and I, their toy," she said, disdain seeping into her voice.

It was then a mutter was heard from the ground where the rest of the company slept. "When I said I wanted to wake up to the sound of a female's voice, _that_ was definitely not what I had in mind."

A couple of grunts of agreement followed as more of them woke up. A pretty little blush appeared on Kagome's cheeks. "Sorry," she apologized bashfully.

"Lady Kagome, can you please elaborate?" the elf pressed.

"Just Kagome. I told you, I am not one for 'Lady' or 'Miss' or whatever."

"But my lady," Boromir cut in, "A woman of your status should be shown the utmost respect."

"That is what they keep telling me," she sighed, "But I don't like it. If you want to show me respect, then respect my wishes and just drop the titles when we are among the people we trust."

Gimli huffed, "You trust us after just one night, lass? You shouldn't be so open to strangers like us."

"Strangers? Hardly. I know of you, who you are connected to, where you hail from. I am well acquainted with your fathers, Gimli, Prince Legolas, Boromir. I know your connections with the house of Elrond, Aragorn, and I knew Bilbo well. Even if I had not, I know you are honorable companions as you are all on a quest with Gandalf, a wizard who I trust my life with. If he is your friend, then you are mine." She bowed her head in her show of respect, "Trust is not easily given, that I know, so I do not expect you to return the same feeling." When she looked up, she winked, playfulness was back in her expression, "Plus, you haven't tried to kill me in my sleep, so that must count for something!"

To everyone's surprise, Boromir laughed out loud and walked over to where Kagome stood. He clasped his hand on her shoulder and exclaimed, "I like this woman! You are a good fellow Kagome. I am glad to know I have your trust and because of that, you have mine." The man put a hand over his heart and tilted his head forward. "I fully expect you to have my back in battle, holy one. Otherwise, I will be extremely disappointed."

"Expectations will be met, Boromir," the priestess responded. Now, let us cook some breakfast!"

 **A/N: Surprise! I am not dead. Hah. So, I started writing this chapter last year but then I accidentally deleted it. Oops. I was being lazy and forgot about it. But here it is! Tell me what you think. I wasn't too sure about it. Anyway, R &R!**


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